


Brekker's Fluffuary 2021

by KorruptBrekker



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen, Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Alternate Universe - Boy Next Door, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Dance, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Alternate Universe - Fae, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Metal Band, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Alternate Universe - Punk, Alternate Universe - Restaurant, Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternate Universe - Slice of Life, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Alternate Universe -- Mermaid, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:08:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 16,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29142759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KorruptBrekker/pseuds/KorruptBrekker
Summary: A collection of 28 shorts all depicting different ships in the fandom.Due to the fact that there is no Fluffuary prompt list for 2021, I shall be using the prompt list from 2020. Alongside this I have also picked 28 popular alternate universes that will be paired with each ship. Sit back, kick up your feet, drink some water, and enjoy.Prompt list supplied bytsshipmonth2020on tumblr.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Deceit | Janus Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Deceit | Janus Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil/Creativity | Roman/Dark Creativity | Remus/Deceit/Logic | Logan/Morality | Patton, Anxiety | Virgil/Creativity | Roman/Deceit | Janus/Logic | Logan/Morality | Patton (Sanders Sides), Anxiety | Virgil/Creativity | Roman/Logic | Logan/Morality | Patton, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Morality | Patton Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Deceit | Janus Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Deceit | Janus Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders, Deceit | Janus Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Dr. Emile Picani/Sleep | Remy Sanders, Logic | Logan Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Logic | Logan Sanders/Sleep | Remy Sanders
Comments: 60
Kudos: 117





	1. Prinxiety -- Childhood Friends

**Author's Note:**

> _Though this is the season of love and romance, it is also Black History month. Take some time out of your day to do some research on often overlooked history. :)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count -- 961

Roman pressed the send button and put his phone in his pocket, beaming. He dropped off his backpack near the doorway of his house, calling out a goodbye to his moms before rushing out the door. The fresh spring air hit him in the best way, the moisture of the sea causing his skin to glisten and putting a pep in his step that nothing else could.

His feet carried him down the path he could walk with his eyes closed. The path he’d been walking for years. The path that held so many memories. The path to the park.

Or, rather,  _ their _ park.

He and his best friend(and admittedly crush), Virgil had been meeting at their park for years. A couple of years ago, they’d started calling it ‘their park,’ and it stuck. They’d been meeting up at their park since elementary school. Through the seemingly endless summers, through grueling school years, through soul sucking heat and chilling rain.

Each blade of grass was a memory. Okay, maybe there weren’t  _ that _ many memories, but there were a  _ lot. _ First days of school, friend struggles, or just the good days. There were so many memories attached to the small park just a few blocks down from his house.

And he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Soon enough the chain link fence came into view and Roman sped up. He spotted Virgil lounging at their tree(third from the left), head tilted back as they basked in the shade of the leaves. The speckled sunlight shone brightly on their mahogany skin, giving them an ethereal look. Like an angel descended from heaven.

Jeez, Roman had it bad.

He waved, shooting a blinding smile at his emo companion, laughing as the other merely flipped him off, not even bothering to keep a straight face as they did so.

He hopped the fence, jogging up to them and plopping down with a hearty sigh. He rested his back against Virgil’s wheelchair, grateful for the back support. A mock scoff fell from his lips as he felt Virgil’s hand ruffling up his hair, effectively messing up the effortless ‘I woke up like this’ style he’d perfected over the years.

There was a difference between bedhead and cute bedhead, and Roman proudly flaunted the cute version.

“Hey!” He yelled, glaring at Virgil, though it was less effective with a grin split across his face.

Virgil snorted, rolling their eyes. “Sup.”

Roman tilted his head back against Virgil’s knee, looking up at them. He could look at them for hours. At their straightened, purple hair that Roman had helped them dye himself. At their spiderbites that their parent had  _ somehow _ let them get. At their bright eyes and shy grin. 

At their  _ adorably _ oversized patchwork hoodie, their black, ripped jeans. The few bracelets and rings that littered their arms and hands, sealing in the emo look. As he looked at the familiar bangles, he spotted something new. Or rather, something  _ old. _

He took Virgil’s wrist in his hands, staring in shock at the black and purple bracelet. “You still  _ have this? _ ”

They looked away, dark cheeks just light enough to betray their blush. Roman laughed at the silent affirmation, grinning at the way their purple fringe fell into their eyes.

“How long has it been since we made these?” He asked, mind travelling back through years of memories to pinpoint when the trinkets were exchanged.

They merely shrugged. “Dunno. A long time.”

They and he both snorted at their vagueness.

“Seven, eight years, maybe?” Roman supplied.

“Nerd.” Virgil teased.

“Emo nightmare.” Roman shot, back, beaming.

“Wow.” Virgil rolled their eyes in that perfect way, smooth, tenor voice dripping with sarcasm. “So creative, Princey.”

Roman just shoved a shoulder into their wheel. “Shut up emo.”

Both the teens drifted into an easy silence, letting the sounds of nature fill in the gaps of their words. The birds tittered loudly in a tree next to them, the warm winds rustling the trees. The speckled light shifted across Virgil’s figure, making them look like a beautiful nature spirit. Roman couldn't help the melting of his heart at the sight.

They really were perfect.

“So.” Virgil eventually broke the silence, fingers fiddling with something out of Roman’s eyeline. Their brows were just barely furrowed, the edges of their mouth pulled down slightly.

Roman immediately perked up, ready to help Virgil in any way he could. “So?”

“I..” They looked away. “I.. made you something.”

Roman raised his eyebrows, though held his tongue. An impressive feat if he said so himself, and something he would only do for Virgil. And his family, maybe. 

But mostly for Virgil.

They took a deep breath, squeezing their eyes shut, the words tumbling from their mouth all jumbled and connected, “IreallylikeyouandhaveforawhilelikeyearsbutIdon’tknowifyouactuallylikemebackbutheretakethisanyways.”

They shoved something into Roman’s hands, chest heaving slightly. It took Roman’s brain a few seconds to compute and decipher the word vomit, but seeing the weaved bracelet of red and gold in his hands helped to piece things together.

He grinned. “Did you just ask me out with a  _ friendship bracelet? _ ”

Virgil muttered something in the affirmative, cheeks blazing.

“OhmyGod you’re such a nerd.” Roman laughed, beaming at his best friend. “Yes, I would love to go on a date with you Virgil Rodriguez.” 

He stood, putting on the bracelet as dramatically as possible, then took Virgil’s hand and held it to his lips. “May I?”

At this point, his enby(ohmyGod  _ his _ enby) was blushing like there’s no tomorrow as they nodded. Roman could have sworn they heard something along the lines of ‘dramatic bitch,’ but elected to ignore it.

He planted a kiss on their knuckles, descending to one knee and looking up to Virgil, beaming.

They really were perfect.


	2. Logicality -- Soulmates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count -- 371

Patton smiles at his boyfriend relaxing on the couch in his unicorn onesie. His normally perfect hair falls casually into his eyes, half moon glasses sitting comfortably atop the bridge of his nose. His lips are curled ever so slightly in a small, utterly genuine smile.

Patton bounces on over in his own onesie, a cat one of course, and flops onto the cushions, snuggling into Logan’s side. He feels the other wrap an arm around his shoulders, slim fingers coming up to card through his tight, blonde curls. Patton can’t help the smile that stretches across his face, eyes fluttering closed. He lets his head fall against Logan, humming contentedly.

A deep, coarse chuckle rumbles through Logan’s chest at Patton’s actions. His mouth slips to the side as his smile widens. His boyfriend is just too adorable. Messy curls falling into his face and obscuring the square frames of his glasses. The freckles that fall across his cheeks like paint splatters, perfect to make constellations out of. 

Suddenly Patton shifts, reaching up to boop Logan’s nose with his own, a playful shine in his eyes. The way his nose scrunches as his smile widens sends Logan’s heart melting in his chest.

He snorts, gaze glinting and lips curling into a wider smile. In a movement so fast Patton can barely track it, Logan’s fingers fly from around him, digging into his sides. A laugh bubbles from Patton as Logan continues to tickle him, using his knowledge of his boyfriend against him.

Patton howls with laughter, trying to shove Logan off. Soon enough, he’s writhed too far and the pair tumble from the couch. It takes only a second before Patton bursts into another fit of laughter, Logan chiming in with his own and being the bass to Patton’s alto. 

Delicately he takes Patton’s wrist, fingers tracing the compass that lays there. Logan raises his wrist, a matching compass residing there. He smiles as both compass hands point to the other. His gaze travels up, eyes meeting Patton’s as he pushes a strand of hair from his adorable face.

Patton beams, planting a kiss on Logan’s cheek happily.

It’s true what they say about soulmates.

They really are your perfect match.


	3. Logince -- Assassin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count -- 432

Movement woke Roman. There was a shifting to his side. He wasn’t entirely certain what it was that was happening, but the thing he was hugging was trying to move and that certainly wasn’t going to happen.

His grip tightened around the thing as he buried his face in the crook of their neck, humming contentedly as the action caused them to stop moving.

A cold hand placed itself upon his, accompanied by more shifting. “Roman, I can’t stay.” Logan muttered.

Ah, so it was Logan that he was holding. Well that made him even more certain that he wasn’t going to let go any time soon. “Yes you can, dearheart.” He responded resolutely, pulling his lover closer.

Despite this, as Logan gently began to remove Roman’s hands from around his waist, he didn’t resist. Granted, this wasn’t without a hearty amount of grumbling, but he  _ did _ acquiesce.

“I have work to attend to, you know this. Tonight is the night.” Logan sat up on the bed, eyes glancing back to Roman’s sleep mussed form. He couldn’t help the small smile that dusted across his face.

Roman  _ did _ know what was occurring tonight. The Resistance has been planning the Duke’s downfall for months, and tonight was the night that his dearest Logan would be slipping off into the night to do the deed. No doubt his bow and quiver were in the corner at the ready, his small collection of blades resting on the side table.

Despite this, Roman still complained. After all, it was  _ his love _ that was going off and doing the killing, and he should have some right to be annoyed, seeing as his own sleep had been disrupted to do it. “Can’t the Duke’s death wait for a few moments.”

“Knowing you, a few moments might as well be a few hours.” Logan huffed, no malice in his voice.

Roman neither confirmed nor denied this accusation, slipping his hands back around Logan’s waist and pulling him back down to the mattress. He smiled as he was met with no resistance.

“Roman, dearest.” Logan began halfheartedly.

Roman’s heart warmed at the name, though he only held him closer. “Half an hour.” 

“Five minutes.”

He snorted. “Twenty.”

“Five.”

“Fifteen.”

“Ten.” Logan turned so they were facing each other, pulling Roman close. “That’s my final offer.”

Roman nodded, head resting comfortably against Logan’s chest. “Ten minutes, then.”

He felt a shift as Logan, undoubtedly, checked his time piece. “Ten minutes,” he muttered as he looked down at Roman once again. “Yes, I do believe that I can be delayed ten minutes.”


	4. Moxiety -- Coffee Shop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count -- 1034

The first time was an accident. Virgil was running late for his evening class and desperately needed something to help him through it. Art history was absolutely _grueling._ He was beginning to regret majoring in drawing and sculpture.

He quickly ran over to his usual cafe, shoulder bag knocking against his legs as he booked it. He burst through the door only to be met with a huge line. Why the _hell_ was there a massive coffee line at 18:00?! It didn’t matter why. All that mattered was that he needed to find a coffee shop _without_ a line. _Quickly._

A quick Google search pulled up a small cafe a few blocks closer to campus called _A Whole Latte Love_. Virgil would have snorted if he hadn’t been so rushed. He ran the few blocks, arriving at a cheery looking cafe. The outside was painted in warm browns peppered with light blues. The combination worked surprisingly well. 

He crashed into the shop, rushing up to the counter and demanding a black coffee before the barista could even open their mouth to speak. Virgil tapped his foot anxiously as he waited for his drink to be prepared. Despite their seemingly cheery disposition, the barista was still shooting him glares as the sound of his foot tapping got louder.

Once his order was complete and rung up, Virgil was out the door with a hastily called ‘thank you.’ He ran down to campus, thoughts swarming in his head like a mass of angry hornets. He ran faster. Thankfully, he made it to class about half an hour before it ended.

Virgil looked at his coffee as the professor went on with her lecture. He wasn’t a black coffee drinker. He hated the way the bitter aftertaste took over his tongue. How it displaced everything and made the whole drink taste stiff and uncomfortably sharp.

This was the first time he’d ever enjoyed black coffee.

* * *

The next time Virgil entered the doors of _A Whole Latte Love_ was a few days later. He’d tried to return to his old coffee shop because he had a routine and wasn’t about to change it any time soon. But the wonderful taste of black coffee kept him coming back. If their _black_ coffee tasted like that, what did their _sweet_ drinks taste like?

Virgil had to know.

And so, Friday evening, he strolled in. Seeing as he was no longer in a rush, he had time to take in the atmosphere. The inside was decorated with the same blues and browns as the front was, and the pastry display was full of wild, popping colours. The drink menu was behind the counter in different shades of colourful chalk markers. 

The same barista that had helped him last time was there, except there was something different about them. They were _covered_ in piercings. Well, their head at least. They had a bright pink bridge piercing, a pastel teal medusa, and a banana yellow septum piercing. They had spiked nostril studs on either side, both in a baby blue. Their earlobes were stretched wide with pastel rainbow gauges, and different coloured earrings made their way up the person’s lobe and then through the cartilage.

Behind their brown apron was a really distressed blue sweater that matched their nose rings. Under their sweater was a grey tank top with little cartoon cats in different poses on it. 

Their mop of blonde curls was the same as yesterday, as were the caramel eyes that Virgil had immediately remembered, though he wasn’t sure if he really noticed them the first time around.

“Hiya!” They said with a wave, their sweater shifting to reveal a splash of colour just under their collarbone. “What can I get for ya?”

Virgil’s brain froze. He was too gay for this shit.

Somehow, by some miracle, he got his voice to work. “Uhm, what would you recommend?”

The barista hummed, looking Virgil up and down. Their smile brightened as Virgil felt his face flush. Thankfully, the person didn’t say anything about it. “Try the rainbow mocha. You look like someone with a hidden sweet tooth.”

“H-how..?”

“Lucky guess!” The barista shrugged, eyes glinting.

Virgil snorted, chipped nails coming to fiddle with his hoodie strings. He watched as they made his drink, somehow topping it with rainbow syrup. How it didn’t come out brown, Virgil had no idea. He took the drink with a small smile, exiting the cafe with a little more energy than when he came in.

It wasn’t until he’d pulled out his laptop to take notes that Virgil realized he hadn’t even gotten the barista’s name.

* * *

Virgil was shocked when he entered the cafe the next day to see all of the piercing’s gone from the barista. The bouncy curls were still there, they looked the same height, but how on _Earth_ all of their piercings were gone, his sleep addled brain had no idea.

Their gaze landed on Virgil. They sized him up before turning and calling, “Patton! The emo guy is back again!”

They sounded completely and utterly bored, so different from how they’d sounded the day before. And then, the barista from yesterday bounced out of the back room. The realization hitting Virgil like a bullet train.

_They were twins._

The pastel goth, Patton, moved to the counter, beaming at Virgil. Their sibling just stalked off towards the back room, muttering something under their breath. Patton must have heard it, because they shot them a stern look. All they got in return was their sibling flipping them off with both hands as they disappeared.

Patton sighed, shaking his head fondly, then looked to Virgil. “What can I get for ya today? Maybe a name?”

“Huh?”

“Oh, I didn’t catch your name yesterday. Can I get it?”

“Uh, Virgil. And, uh, I’d like that drink you made yesterday again. Please.”

“The rainbow mocha? Of course! One rainbow mocha for Virgil coming right up!”

Virgil couldn’t help the smile that slid onto his face as he watched the barista bounce around behind the counter. With a wave, he left the cafe, a pastel goth in his head and a phone number on his coffee cup.


	5. Analogical -- Royalty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count -- 629

A sigh slipped from Logan’s lips as he gazed up into the swath of stars above. His arms rested on the window sill, a breeze ghosting through his hair as his eyes focused upward. Upward into the deep, dark cloth draped across the sky, specks of light peering through the weaving threads of the heavens. Twinkling, shining, whispering secrets. Telling all those who looked up that there was so much more than just one’s feet on the ground.

Logan was astounded by it.

Behind him, a shadow slipped from a patch of darkness, silent footsteps making their delicate way across his stone flooring. The infinitesimal shift of fabric could be heard as the figure’s cloak trailed gently behind them. They slipped a hand around Logan’s waist, earning a sigh from the man. Logan, in turn, rested his head on the figures shoulder. His eyes never left the sky as he reached his own arm around, having it rest comfortably on the figure’s hip.

“Captivated by the heavens once again, your majesty?”

“Virgil please,” Logan said, tearing his eyes away from the sky’s stars to glance at his own, “Honorifics are not needed. To you I am Logan. I inist.”

“As you wish.” Virgil responded, drumming his fingers against Logan’s hip.

Silence fell upon the two silhouettes as they were drawn in by the sky once more. Magenta and forest eyes shined next to acorn brown ones, irises reflecting the shimmering stars above. The moonlight shone against Logan’s raven hair and Virgil’s violet cloak, and the breeze carded through their hair and teased their clothing.

After some time, whether it was minutes or hours Virgil couldn’t tell, he spoke. “Tell me a story.”

Logan hummed thoughtfully. His eyes stayed transfixed on the sky above as his lips parted. They faintly moved as he thought, as if he was sifting through words, picking out the best of the best of which to weave the tale.

Soon, he began. “Long ago, there was a prince and a healer. They both lived within the same kingdom, though neither had ever encountered the other before. 

“One day, the prince had gotten hurt whilst training, and was sent to the healer. With delicate hands, the healer tended to his wounds. He spoke in low, soft tones, so soothing to the prince’s ear. It was all too soon when they parted ways.

“After that, again and again, they’d meet. The prince would get injured, or the healer would stumble upon him in the library, or they would cross paths near the kitchens. Each time they locked eyes they seemed to fall further and further into each other’s gazes.

“On a night very much like this one, the healer crept into the prince’s room. The healer was a master at concealing their sounds and movement, but somehow the prince heard him. He asked if the healer would like to join him in stargazing. The healer said yes.

“The two looked up at the stars, and watched in awe as they told them stories. The sky rearranged itself in numerous ways, revealing to the prince and the healer their destiny. The two could not take their eyes off the shifting sky, and even once the sky had returned to stagnation, they stayed there. Hand in hand, their figures bathing in moonlight as the stars watched over them. The sound of the air sifting through the trees lulled them to sleep, whispering promises of a good ending to their story.”

Virgil gently shoved Logan’s shoulder. “I had no idea the prince was such a sap.”

“Only for you, love.” Logan muttered, allowing a smile to cross his face.

They returned their focus to the sky, Logan’s story fresh in their minds.

_ Were the stars always aligned in that way? _


	6. Royality -- Slice of Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count -- 309

Patton hummed under his breath as he swayed around the kitchen. He pulled the second batch of chocolate, chocolate chip cookies from the oven and continued placing the first batch on the cooling rack. They smelled absolutely delicious and it took all of Patton’s willpower not to eat one. If he picked off a small piece of one of the cookies it was fine, right?

Before he could continue with his delicious dilemma, he heard Roman from the living room. “Patton!” He whined from the couch. Roman turned to look past the kitchen island as his partner forlornly. “Are you done yet? I wanna get the movie started!”

Patton chuckled, gently waving Roman off. “Almost sweetie.”

Roman let out a melodramatic groan at that, nearly falling off the couch in his display of dramatics. A laugh bubbled up from Patton at his antics. He quickly righted himself, wrapping himself up in a cozy blanket, the green, grey, and black stripes of the aromantic flag contrasting beautifully with his bright red hair.

Soon enough, Patton transferred the second batch of baked goods to the cooling rack, and put the first ones on two separate plates. He walked into the living room, careful not to drop any of them. He placed the plates on the coffee table just before Roman grabbed his arm and pulled him to the couch.

He settled against Patton, head resting on his shoulder as he grabbed a cookie and started the movie. Patton ruffled his hair, earning a smile from his platonic partner as he took a bite of Patton’s creation. He smiled at the contented look on Roman’s face as he quickly finished the cookie. Meanwhile, Patton pulled the blanket from around Roman, wrapping it around himself too, and settling into the couch.

He couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend his night.


	7. LAMP -- Mermaid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count -- 1363

It began with Roman. He grabbed his brown satchel, which worked perfectly with his warm brown skin, a telltale sign of his Caribbean residence. His dark hair was shoulder length and flowed around him as he swam away from his home, a hunger in his smile and a brightness in his hazel eyes.

His rose red tail shimmered in the turquoise water of the Carribean as he swam. He wasn’t quite sure where he was going, but he knew it was somewhere. He’d been preparing for this day for absolutely ages. He’d studied and worked and yearned for the day when he’d be able to leave his home town and explore the sea. To experience all the beautiful creatures and the breathtaking plants. 

He wanted nothing more to explore the depths of blue that stretched out before him. And now he could.

And so, with his two hearts pounding readily in his chest, and his body nearly buzzing with energy and excitement, he set off into the unknown. As he traveled, he couldn’t help but imagine all of the amazing things he would find on his journey.

His imagination could never have prepared him for the adventure that lay ahead.

Roman, as perusal, was singing a tune as he swam. It was something he’d made up a few days earlier, and had been living rent free in his mind ever since. His mouth curled into a smile as he swished around, excited by the change in water temperature. The further he traveled, the colder it got, and though he was excited, the constant movement also helped to keep himself warm.

Just as he was twirling around, something flashed in the sand beneath him. Curiosity took hold as he dove towards the object. He displaced some sand as he reached for the it, looking at it in awe. It looked like a pair of spectacles, but it was much more delicate than he was used to. A tía of his had some of her own, though they were much thicker than these ones. 

He hummed, twisting them around and watching with fascination as the light shined off of them. He was about to put them in his satchel as a souvenir when he heard a call from his left.

“Hey!” Roman quickly turned his head to see a mer waving at him. “Hey, can you help me? I’m looking for my glasses.”

“These?” Roman asked, handing the delicate spectacles over to the mer.

“Oh my goodness, yes! Thank you so much!”

The mer slipped them on and beamed. They had a bright blue tail, the colour so similar to the surrounding water that it was almost invisible. Their tail fins were shorter and rounder than Romans, and seemed to be heartier, stronger, too. Their skin was a cool, deep brown, and their wavy black hair cascaded around them in a beautiful halo. Their eyes were a dark, comforting brown that was nearly black, and their smile was as warm and bright as the sun.

“I was so worried I’d lost them.” The mer continued, practically ramming into Roman as they wrapped them in a strong hug.

“I’m glad I could help return what was lost, then.” Roman chuckled, returning the embrace. “My name’s Roman, and I use he/him pronouns.”

The mer pulled away. “I’m Patton, xe/xir. It’s nice to see a new face around here.”

“I quite agree, meeting new people is half the fun on an excursion such as mine.”

“Oooh, what are you doing?” Xe asked, leaning towards Roman, intrigued.

“My dearest puffball, I’mon a journey to explore the oceans.” Patton’s eyes shimmered with stars as Roman continued, “And it would be the greatest pleasure to have a companion on my journey.”

“Of course!” Xe squealed, twirling around happily. “Oh, I’d  _ love _ to! It sounds like so much fun!”

Roman laughed and swam away with Patton, the two smiling and talking as they made their way into the unexplored depths of the sea.

Roman and Patton twirled around each other as they made their way through the blue, Patton’s giggles like music to Roman’s ears. The water didn’t get much warmer, but the sky definitely got darker, as did the sea. The water took on a dreary grey, blue shade as rain dumped onto the surface above them.

He felt Patton speed off, and quickly followed, curious to see what caught his partner’s attention. It was soon revealed as the two approached another mer. Their long, black hair was in a thick braid, and their skin was a warm brown, as if they’d been bathing in the sun, though Roman wasn’t quite sure how since he hadn’t seen the sun in what felt like ages. Their tail faded from indigo at their hips to a deep black at their tail, and their back and tail fins were significantly spinier than both his and Patton’s. Though the oddest thing wasn’t how they looked, it was that there was a quill and parchment to the side of them, the quill writing by itself.

“What’cha doing?” Patton asked, leaning close over the mer’s shoulder to watch the quill.

The mer started, glaring at xir with icy blue eyes behind thick spectacles. “Personal space,  _ please. _ ”

Xe smiled sheepishly, brushing xir hair from xir eyes as xe backed up. “I’m Patton, xe/xir pronouns, and that’s Roman, he/him. What’s your name? And what’re you working on?”

“Logan, he/him and ley/leyr.” He responded curtly, making a gesture that sent the quill and parchment flying into leyr hands.

Before he could continue, Patton interrupted with, “Oh my gosh! You’re a  _ mage! _ ”

“I am.” He said, eying xir and Roman warily.

“Join us.” Roman insisted. “Patton here and I are going on an adventure. We’re exploring the seas, and would love it if you joined us.”

Logan’s eyes lit up at the prospect of further exploration, and ley couldn’t help the small smile that formed as ley nodded. “I would love to. I can’t wait to add to my research. And, to answer your question, Patton, I’m studying the local flora and fauna--plants and wildlife--around here. Though it would be a missed opportunity to decline the option of studying elsewhere.” He rolled up his parchment eagerly, waving it away, presumably somewhere safe.

The three continued their journey, excitement and curiosity radiating from their pod.

Logan, as per usual, had disappeared into some sort of plant. Roman and Patton watched fondly as ley inspected the leaves, then eagerly dove into the sea brush.

Meanwhile, Logan was sifting through tall stalks of seaweed, utterly captivated. The texture was smooth against leyr skin and scales, even though at first glance the plants looked stiff and sharp. Suddenly, ley felt something shift against his tail. Ley turned quickly, shocked to be face to face with another mer.

They curled in on themselves, eyeing Logan warily with their bright green eyes. They were pale, with a smattering of freckles across their cheeks, nose, and arms. Their tail was much like Logan’s, in that it was a gradient--lavender at their waist and a deep violet as their tail. Their auburn hair sifted with the seaweed, perfectly framing their face.

“Hello.” Logan spoke softly, as to not scare them.

“You’re like me.” They spoke hesitantly, not taking their eyes off him.

“I am.” Ley responded with a small smile. “I’m Logan, pronouns are he/him and ley/leyr. A pleasure to meet you.” He held out a hand.

Slowly, they took it. “Virgil,” they muttered, “they/them.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Virgil. I have a couple of other mers waiting just outside the brush, would you like to meet them?”

Virgil nodded, smiling faintly as they delicately swept their hair from their eyes. Logan nodded in turn, beckoning for them to follow as ley made leyr way out of the seaweed.

Once they reappeared, Roman and Patton’s eyes lit up. Logan gave Patton a look, and xe restrained xirself from tackle-hugging the mer that Logan had brought back with him.

“This is Virgil, pronouns are they/them.”

Virgil waved, a slight smile playing across their lips.

And then there were four.


	8. Loceit -- Android

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count -- 423

Janus heavily sat on his bed in a flurry of flapping hands and bouncing legs. Logan walked in shortly after, unnatural blue eyes looking at him.

Those eyes took him apart. They searched every nook and cranny, compiling information, or just observing, Janus could never tell. Logan would usually tell him which when he asked, but he didn’t have the energy to ask today. The android’s gaze scanned over him, taking in the way Janus held himself, the clothes he was wearing, the expression on his face.

“Are you alright?”

“I will be.” Janus said.

Logan just nodded, his own faint smile mirroring Janus’s. “What may I do?”

“Turn off the lights. Weighted blanket. Bring Nagini over here.” He paused. “Please.”

“Of course.” Logan responded, flipping off the lights and taking Janus’s albino morph ball python, Nagini, out of her enclosure and bringing her over to his partner.

Janus draped Nagini over his shoulders and arm as Logan placed a weighted blanket over his legs. He shot him a smile. Logan readily returned it. When his android partner settled into bed next to him, Janus finally spoke.

“I will _never_ understand humans.”  
“Aren’t you one?”

“Just because I am one doesn’t mean I comprehend my own kind. Here, let me reword my statement. I will never understand  _ neurotypical _ humans.”

Logan chuckled. “Ahh. I believe a good response for this is ‘big mood.’”

Janus snorted, nodding. “Yeah, you’re getting better at that, darling.”

“Thank you.” Logan said, preening.

The two were silent for a while, just sitting in the lack of noise. They both just existed in each other’s company, comfortable and cozy up against each other. Janus hummed as Logan wrapped an arm around his shoulders, coming to pet Nagini.

“You know there’s a more efficient way to do that.” He eyed Logan.

Logan just nodded. “I’m aware. I am also aware that my boyfriend enjoys it when I put my arm around his shoulders.” He paused. “Would you like me to remove it?”

Janus shook his head fondly. “No, not at all, love.”

“Alright. Then I won’t.”

It was silent for a little longer before Janus spoke again. “It’s nice to be understood. Even if you’re not human, it’s still nice to know that at least someone understands me and my struggles..”

His partner smiled. “Likewise. It’s comforting to have a human who understands  _ my _ struggles.”

A beat of silence. Then, “May I kiss you?” Janus asked, looking up into Logan’s eyes for the first time that night.

Logan smiled. “Of course.”


	9. Roceit -- Faerie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count -- 324

Long, soft hair sifts through his dexterous fingers like silk. Roman holds the strands reverently, captivated by the warm chestnut brown and the bright gold shimmering and shining in the sunlight. He runs a thumb along a hair section before folding it over his other hand delicately. It cascades down his wrist in a soft waterfall, pooling on the forest floor.

Roman weaves the hair up and over itself. He guides it through patterns and mazes, always soft and precise with his movements. He shapes the strands into an intricate, interlocking pattern that falls down Dee’s back. He tames the cascading waters of his hair, shaping it into a beautiful, interconnected art piece, flowers sprinkled throughout the weave.

A smooth voice accompanies Roman’s work, shifting and stirring through the surrounding trees. The melody moves up and down, as a warm and encouraging song slips from Dee’s lips. It beckons the wildlife with open arms, embracing them all in warmth and comfort. It encourages the surrounding plants to reach for the sky, helping them along as they stretch towards the sun.

Dee faintly turns his head, smiling at Roman fondly. His golden eyes shimmer with magic, looking like molten gold in the shining sunlight. His lips quirk up in a warm, ancient smile. He never smiles wide. He never smiles with teeth. It threatens Roman, and so he refrains.

Roman isn’t scared of the too sharp teeth anymore, but he doesn’t correct Dee. He likes looking for the miniscule smiles. It makes Roman feel like he’s the only one who gets to see Dee smile. Dee knows this, of course, and doesn’t dare correct Roman.

After all, Roman is right. Dee’s smiles are for Roman and Roman alone.

In return for these small smiles, Roman gifts Dee his wide grins. All bright teeth and shining eyes. So different from Dee’s quiet lip quirks. So different, and so very, very human.

So different.

And so perfect.


	10. Moceit -- Roommates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count -- 1309
> 
> _We have reached the point in the journey wherein I no longer have the energy to proofread. If you find any spelling and/or grammar mistakes, don't hesitate to let me know._

Janus listened to the rumble of the car and the jabber of Remy’s speech as he raved about something or other. In all honesty, xe’d tuned him out ages ago. Normally, Janus was always interested in the tea Remy had to spill, but today he just couldn’t concentrate.

A pit sat in xir stomach, causing everything Remy was saying to go in one ear and out the other. Janus wanted to listen, to pay attention, _he did._ But He just couldn’t. Not with all of his thoughts gearing towards his new dorm.

Xe’d applied for Sanders University, a prestigious, though fairly easy to get into, college just South of xir home town. It would be the first time xe wouldn’t be within walking distance of xir friends, and xir first time living in an apartment with someone he’d never met. And so, to quench the apprehension, he watched the city fly by the passenger window, and allowed Remy’s dramatic voice to act as white noise.

The sharp sound of Remy snapping his fingers was enough to bring Janus back to the car. Xe scowled at xir friend, raising an eyebrow in irritated inquiry.

“Jeez, gurl, I tried to get your attention, like, three different ways. You good?”

“Fine.” Janus waved him off, returning xir gaze to the window, only to notice the scenery was stationary. How long had the car been stopped?

Remy gave xir a look, but thankfully didn’t push. “Well, we’re here. You’re on your own with your bags, I’m not your chauffeur _and_ your bellboy.”

Janus huffed fondly, placing xir hands on the door handle. Xe hesitated. Was xe really ready for this? For college? For a _career?_ Did xe even know what xe wanted to do with xir life? Xe had an idea, but would it actually go according to plan?

Before xe had any more time to overthink, Janus pushed the door open and made xir way to the trunk. Remy had popped it for xem earlier, and xe grabbed xir stuff from it. A backpack and a couple boxes. It wasn’t much, but Janus was a minimalist. Xe stepped out from behind the car and Remy backed up, leaning across the passenger seat to wish xem luck and to demand xe keep him updated with all the college gossip. 

Janus smiled as he pulled out of the parking lot, watching as his car disappeared down the road. Watching Remy drive away caused xir chest to ache, but xe shook it off, walking into xir dorm building and travelling to the elevator. Xe rode up to the fourth floor in silence, eternally grateful that xe was the only one in the compartment. Once the doors opened up, xe nearly gagged.

The walls were bright orange. The carpet was a disgusting fuschia. Xe had tried to prepare xirself for the horrid school colours, but this was so much worse than xe thought. Xe sighed, making xir way to room 124 as quickly as possible. The faster xe was out of the hideously coloured hallway the better.

Xe set the boxes down, retrieving xir keys and turning the lock. The door opened up into a, thankfully, grey room. It had a main area with two loft beds on opposite walls, each complete with desks underneath. To the right was a bathroom, and to the left was a kitchenette. Just past the main room was a smaller room, equipped with a closet and chairs.

No one seemed to be inside yet, so xe could set up their materials in peace. Xe found two dressers in the closet, and began putting xir clothing in one. Once that was finished, xe looked around for a place for his snake’s enclosure. After some debating, xe settled on placing it on xir desk. Xe would still have enough desk space for xir laptop, so it should suffice.

Xe happily readied Ophelia’s enclosure, humming under xir breath as xe placed down her caves and water dish. Xe then removed her from her travel container, delicately placing her back in the enclosure. She seemed hesitant, most likely due to the new surroundings outside the enclosure, but other than that, she looked perfectly fine. She flicked her tongue at Janus. Xe smiled back.

Xe then hoisted xirself up xir ladder, climbing into bed and huddling under xir weighted blanket. After xe got comfortable, xe pulled out their phone, opening up xir search engine to continue reading. Xe was currently in the middle of reading _Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality. ***** _ It had magic, it had philosophy. What more could xe ask for. Xe settled in a little more, seeping into the words of the beloved story.

Just as Janus had finally gotten comfortable, the dorm room door _slammed_ open. Xe squeaked, startling so intensely that xe dropped their phone. Xe cursed as the momentary panic subsided, glaring at xir phone that was now laying on the floor, somehow with the screen still intact.

The person who had thrown open the door bounced in, took a look around, and then disappeared back out into the hallway. They reappeared with a couple boxes. After setting them down, they disappeared again. This happened a few times, until all 5 boxes were brought into the dorm room.

They had hazel, wavy hair, and bright green eyes. Large freckles were smattered across their cheeks, and they wore square, thick framed glasses. They had on a sku blue jumper over a white button up shirt and a skirt just a shade lighter than their hair. Their leggings were light gray, and the look was complete with some black mary jane shoes.

They looked like they finally noticed Janus as they looked up and smiled, revealing the slight gap between their front teeth. “Hiya! Didn’t see you there. I’m Patton, but my friends call me Patt or Patty. What’s your name?” Their voice was bright and bubbly, and perfectly matched their outfit.

“Janus.” Xe responded, still irritated by the interruption, but it was fading by the minute.

“It’s nice to meet you Janus! Can I call you Jan?”

“Uh, sure?” 

“Oh perfect! I always wanted a dormmate, and now I have one! Oh this is gonna be so exciting!”

Janus could only nod as they went on and on about how they’d been preparing for this moment for ages and how excited they were to start college and make friends. It almost seemed like they could talk more than Remy could. Almost. And just like with Remy, Janus didn’t seem to mind hearing Patton talk. There was something adorable about the way they were so easily excited. Wait, adorable? Where did that come from?

Janus quickly tried to distract xirself, eyes landing on the mountain of boxes Patton had carried in. “Do you want help with those?” Xe asked.

Patton’s eyes flicked to the boxes, quick to brush off Janus’s offer. “Oh, no, it’s okay. I-”

“I insist.” Janus pressed.

“Well, okay.” Patton acquiesced, cheeks growing a little red as they did.

Janus held xir tongue as they made xir way down from the bed and towards the boxes. With Patton’s instruction, they got to work. The boxes weren’t labelled, they were just stuffed with whatever would fit. Janus would hold up an item and Patton would tell xir where it went. The two worked out an efficient system and got all of the boxes unpacked in only a couple hours.

As they unpacked, smiles were exchanged, jokes were made, and Janus couldn’t help the warmth that bloomed in xir chest. It seemed Patton’s positive energy and excitement was contagious; when Janus had finished helping them unpack, xe no longer felt anxious about the road ahead. 

And xe was sure of at least one thing: xe would do just about anything to spend more time with Patton.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***** _Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality_ is an actual fanfic that you can read [here.](http://www.hpmor.com/) It's a wonderful story that merges the world of Harry Potter with modern day(2015) science and rationalist philosophies, written by Eliezer Yudkowsky, a man who has studied all of the concepts, both scientific and philosophical, featured in the fanfic. It's quite a lengthy read, but I highly recommend it. For those of you who may seem interested, I sincerely hope you enjoy.


	11. Anxceit -- Restaurant Owners

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count -- 334
> 
> _If there are any typos and/or grammar mistakes, don't hesitate to let me know._

It was nearing sunset. Virgil had been sitting on his couch scrolling through Tumblr, as per usual, when Janus had approached him. They simply smiled and held out a black bandanna. When Virgil raised a questioning brow, Janus merely gestured to their eyes, signalling that the fabric was to act as a blindfold. Begrudgingly, Virgil allowed them to tie it around his head and obscure his vision.

And now, he was being led  _ somewhere _ by his spouse. They’d been walking for a good while, though Virgil had a horrible sense of direction and had gotten turned around the minute Janus made a left turn. So now he was stuck, hand clasped in Janus’s, as they lead him Lord knows where, hoping that he wasn’t going to end up in a flaming pit of tar or something. He knew he could trust his spouse, but anxiety was a bitch and she certainly wasn’t playing nice today.

Janus came to a sudden halt, and Virgil nearly crashed into them. He heard them chuckle before they removed his blindfold. 

Virgil was speechless.

Before them was a pristine, one story building, greys and yellows meshing perfectly. Janus led him inside, showing him the sharp angles of the counter and the geometric tables and benches in the dining area. Next was the kitchen, which was big enough for at least eight people. To the left of that was the break room, which was sparsely decorated, though Virgil had an idea of what it would end up looking like.

He was close to tears. He and Janus had been looking for a space, for what felt like forever, to start up their restaurant. And now they  _ had one. _ Virgil was completely and utterly shocked. He looked over to Janus, who was mirroring his own, wide grin.

_ Happy anniversary. _ They signed, the movement quick and rushed, their face wholeheartedly conveying their excitement.

Virgil just grinned back, pulling them into a kiss, completely overjoyed at the prospect of continuing their future together.


	12. DLAMP -- College

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count -- 375
> 
> _If there are any typos and/or grammar mistakes, don't hesitate to let me know._

Roman threw open the dorm door with a melodramatic sigh. He was greeted with the heavenly scent of chocolate chip cookies--no doubt the work of Patton. He tossed his messenger bag to the side, near the doorway, and flopped into the couch. 

Patton stood from where he was sitting at the counter and closed the front door. He left a dusting of white on the doorknob from when he was drawing designs in the extra flour that lay on the counter. He rested his hip against the doorframe, fondly looking at Roman. “Busy day?”

“More than you  _ know. _ ” He bemoaned, glancing at Patton.

“Well, tonight’s family game night, so at least there’s something to look forward to.”

Roman turned towards Patton, getting comfortable on the couch, grinning at his partner. “Wonderful.

The five partners sat on the living room floor, all surrounding a bright game board. A discarded instructions pamphlet lay across the room, and messy card piles lay in front of each person.

“This is  _ preposterous! Inconceivable! _ ” Roman cried, dramatically placing his game piece further back on the board.

“If you read the instructions you wouldn’t have received the penalty.” Logan and Janus said in unison. They both looked at each other, a small flush spreading across both their faces. Janus quickly kissed Logan before turned back to Roman, raising a challenging brow. Logan unconsciously mirrored the motion.

“Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh.” Roman groaned, throwing himself back into the carpet. He threw an arm over his eyes.

“There, there.” Patton chuckled, trying, and failing, not to smile.

Virgil, on the other hand, had no such restraint. He snickered at Roman’s antics, laughing at the squeak his partner released when he poked him in the ribs. Roman sat up so quickly he nearly konked heads with Patton.

“How are  _ you _ winning?” He demanded, pointing an accusatory finger at Virgil. “You  _ totally suck _ at board games!”

He just shrugged, smirking. “Luck.”

“Skill.” Janus supplied, not bothering to hide his smile.

“Reading the instructions.” Logan added, the corners up his mouth quirking upwards.

Patton seemed to break, a giggle slipping through his lips as he patted Roman’s shoulder. “Oh come now, it’s alright Roman. Maybe you’ll win next time.”

Roman rolled his eyes, struggling to hide his own smile. “Fine.”


	13. Intrulogical -- Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count -- 418
> 
> _If there are any typos and/or grammar mistakes, don't hesitate to let me know._

Remus looked over at his and Logan’s room door. His husband had been holed up their room for hours and Remus had had enough. He threw open the door, sighing as he saw his husband at the desk, watching a video on his computer. Remus dramatically draped himself over Logan’s shoulders, pressing the spacebar to pause the video.

“Yes dear?” Logan asked, pressing the spacebar to continue playing the video.

“Come on, you need a break. You can continue studying our routine later.”

“But it-”

“No buts.” Remus said cheerily as he took Logan’s hand in his and pulled him from his chair. Logan begrudgingly followed, a smile tugging at his lips.

“Where are we going?”

“The studio.” Remus said. “We’re gonna dance.”

“I thought you said-”

“No, you  _ are _ going to take a break. We’re not gonna practice the routine.”

Remus opened the door of the small studio, nodding firmly and smiling to himself. He skipped into the room, connecting his phone to the speakers and sifting through his music to find an appropriate song. Something lighthearted, but fast enough that he and Logan wouldn’t be bored.

Once he found something that worked, he left his phone on the floor and walked over to Logan. He shimmied his shoulders with a wink as the tango began to play. Logan huffed fondly, walking into Remus’s arms and stepping into position. Remus led them around the smooth floors of the studio, letting Logan adjust to his pace.

Catching Logan slightly off guard, he lifted his arm and guided his husband into a spin, garnering a small laugh from him. Remus quickly pulled him back, taking a few steps to spin them both around the studio. Then, once he’d returned to a basic move combination, he muttered in Logan’s ear, “Heads up.”

He grabbed Logan’s hips, hoisting him up for a spin, eliciting a laugh from both dancers. Remus let Logan down, and Logan quickly took the lead, guiding them around the studio before dropping Remus into a death-drop dip. Remus giggled as he was pulled up into Logan’s waiting arms, the other cradling his husband gently.

Remus leaned forward for an eager kiss. Logan laughed into it, kissing back with a smile stretched across his face. Remus smiled back, peppering kisses all across his face. 

The two spent the rest of the night casually dancing, slowly shifting from fast songs to slow songs, heads resting on shoulders and soft ‘I love you’s’ muttered in the comfort of the studio.


	14. Analogical -- High School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Author's Choice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count -- 821
> 
> _If there are any typos and/or grammar mistakes, don't hesitate to let me know._  
>  _Note: The italicized text is in a basic ASL grammar structure. If there is any confusion about what anything means, feel free to ask._
> 
> _Happy Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day is all about love, so take some time to love and appreciate yourself. Drink water, eat good food, maybe sit back and enjoy a movie, and just love yourself._

Logan quickly walked into the office, making a b-line for his chair. It technically wasn’t his, but he sat in the same one often enough that he’d mentally dubbed it his. Thankfully, no one else was sitting in it. He roughly sat down, setting his backpack against the left leg of the chair. He sunk into the fabric, wrists tight as he flapped his hands. He felt heavy. He felt busy. He was so full of energy and so tired at the same time. The comforting sounds of softly clacking keys and the scratching of pens helped him adjust. There was music playing, just loud enough to make out the general beat but soft enough you couldn’t make out the lyrics unless you really listened.

It was perfect.

Gradually, Logan’s body began to uncoil. His stimming started to slow down, slipping from flapping hands to bouncing legs. His breathing wasn’t as choked as before and his jaw began to loosen. Though, the block in his throat stayed there. He didn’t even try to force words. He knew it wouldn’t work. He needed more time before he could talk again.

Much to Logan’s dismay, the office door flew open as a kid about his age stormed in. They didn’t even bother talking to the secretary(Charlotte), they just sat down  _ right next to Logan. _ Logan’s jaw tightened at the  _ person _ right next to him. People were unpredictable. His comforting silence and white noise was disrupted now that there was a  _ person _ next to him.

Hushed tones drew his attention away from the student to Charlotte’s desk. There was an adult talking with her, and they seemed to be gesturing to the student that was sitting next to him. Logan couldn’t make out what they were saying, but the tone seemed frustrated and worried(?). He wasn’t quite sure, he wasn’t the best at deciphering tone, but he knew that the adult didn’t seem happy.

Sharp breaths caused Logan’s head to snap back to the student to his left. Their leg was bouncing like his was, and their hands were fisting in their hair. Their breathing was sharp and staccato, though it seemed like they were trying to slow it down. It looked like they were having a panic attack.

Before he could think, Logan was waving his hand in front of the student's face. They looked up, brows contorted in an expression Logan couldn’t decipher. It was too many emotions at once for him to understand. The eyeshadow that was packed under their eyes was streaked with tear tracks, and their lower lip was pulled into their mouth, most likely being chewed on. Logan could see what he thought were hearing aids peeking through their black and purple hair and decided to take a chance.

_ Now anxiety attack you experience? _ Logan signed delicately, his movements sharp and precise, his brows raised in question.

The kid’s brows raised in shock, though they merely nodded, wringing their hands as their gaze drifted to the floor.

Logan got their attention again.  _ Tell me what? 5 things you can see. _

Their mouth twisted, though they looked around. With shaking hands they messily signed their list.  _ Chair, you, secretary, backpack, mirror. _

Logan nodded, smiling slightly.  _ Good. 4 things you can feel. _

The student didn’t hesitate as much this time around.  _ Hoodie, hearing aids, chair, pants. _

_ Perfect. _ Logan figured he’d skip the hearing sense, seeing as the kid was either hard of hearing or deaf and he didn’t want to cause them more stress to focus on a sense that wasn’t as keen as the others.  _ 3 things you can smell. _

They wrinkled their nose.  _ Perfume. _ They lifted a small necklace to their nose.  _ Orange. _ They turned their attention back to the room.  _ Bread? _

Logan chuckled, nodding.  _ Charlotte, _ he pointed to the secretary,  _ 5 minutes ago she eat sandwich. _

The student nodded slowly. 

_ Last, _ Logan signed,  _ 2 things you can taste. _

_ Sandwich, _ Virgil began, smiling slightly,  _ leftover Thai pasta. _

Logan nodded, smiling.  _ Now how you? _

_ Better. Thank you. _

Logan nodded.  _ You’re welcome. Your name what? I Logan. Pronouns he/him. _

_ Cool. _ They signed back.  _ I Virgil. Pronouns ae/aer. _ Their signing was significantly less shaky, though it was still much looser than Logan’s was. He liked it. It was a bit challenging to understand, but he liked the way aer signed flowed into each other.

_ You hard of hearing, deaf; which? _ He asked.

_ Deaf. You? _

_ Hearing, but I selective mute. Mean what? When I stressed, overwhelmed, my voice stop work. _

_ I see. _ Virgil signed.  _ Nice to meet a person know ASL. _

_ Agree. _ Logan signed firmly, a smile tugging at his lips.  _ Make me happy. ASL more people need learn. _

_ A-M-E-N. _ Virgil fingerspelled passionately.  _ Not enough people know ASL. _

_ Agree. _ Logan hesitated momentarily, then delicately signed.  _ You, I; friend? _

Virgil smiled softly, nodding.  _ Yes. We friend. _

Logan’s lips split into a grin.  _ Awesome. _

Virgil huffed a laugh, nodding.  _ Yes. Awesome. _


	15. Dukexiety -- Road Trip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count -- 828  
>   
>  _If there are any typos and/or grammar mistakes, don't hesitate to let me know._

Virgil was anxiously sitting in the passenger seat of Remus’s beat up car, tapping out a rhythm on the dashboard. He glanced out the window at the gas station shop door. When he didn’t see Remus, he glanced towards the back seats of the car. There were a couple of duffle bags thrown haphazardly onto the seats.

A few days ago, he and Remus had decided on a whim to take a road trip to the Everglades to fill the empty days of summer. It was their second day of driving, and they were currently stopped at a gas station to load up on fuel, both for them and the car. Virgil had originally gone in with Remus to use the restroom, but he’d immediately spotted the cashier and fled to the car because his anxiety just decided to have a field day today.

And so there he was, sitting in Remus’s car, tapping out a rhythm and trying not to have a panic attack as he waited for his best friend to arrive. Just on time, the driver side door flew open and Virgil jumped about a foot in the air, wincing as the seat belt pulled him back into the semi-plush seat.

“I’M BACK WITH SNACKS MOTHERFUCKER!” Remus screamed as he hopped into the seat dumping three bags packed to the brim with gas station junk.

Virgil pressed a hand to his chest to keep his heart from beating out of his ribcage. “Jesus Christ!”

Remus just grinned at him, turning the car on and speeding out of the station. He raced to the highway, somehow speeding _and_ staying within the limit. Virgil wasn’t sure how he managed to safely drive and make it feel like all passengers in the vehicle were gonna die, but he’d taken enough rides with Remus to adjust to the feeling.

“We’re stocked for the afternoon! LET’S GO!”

He merged onto the highway and Virgil took the time to look through the bags of food. Upon first inspection he found five different kinds of chips, 15 different bags of candy, a _shit ton_ of red _and_ black licorice, and _way too many_ cashews. After finding the cashews, he looked up to Remus in complete and utter confusion.

“What’s with all the nuts?” He asked, not sure he wanted an answer, as he opened a bag of red licorice.

Remus cackled, glancing over at Virgil. “I was in a mood. Just cravin’ cashews, ya know?”

“No.” Virgil said, befuddled. “No I don’t.”

“Whatever, emo.” He shrugged, reaching over and grabbing a small bag of cashews and opening it with his teeth.

Virgil sighed and shook his head, turning back to the food to get a better look. At the bottom of the first back, he found a few packages of sweet crackers. At the bottom of the second bag, he found packages of candy string, and at the bottom of the third bag he found a _shit ton_ of gummy worms.

He grinned, bouncing in his seat slightly as he looked to Remus. “Hey! You got Spider Snacks!”

“Fuck yeah I got Octopus Snacks.”

A few years ago, Virgil was really tired one day and had rummaged through his snack cabinet for some shit food. He looked at his selection, and decided that he was gonna try to make something out of it. He’d grabbed a few crackers and eight gummy worms and had tied everything together with the candy string. He’d fondly dubbed the concoction Spider Snacks and had grabbed his roommate and best friend, Remus, and showed him. Remus helped make the edible art project a little nicer and had dubbed his Octopus Snacks, because really the DIY creature could be any eight legged(or eight armed* in Remus’s case) creature under the sun. From that day on, it had been dubbed Spider Snacks and Octopus Snacks by Virgil and Remus respectively, and was eaten semi regularly by the two.

“You were lookin’ bored, so I figured I’d get somethin’ to entertain you. Also, it’s a tradition. You can’t have a road trip without Octopus Snacks.”

“Amen to that.” Virgil said, already pulling out the materials and wiping the dust from the dashboard. As he did so, he glanced at the radio. “You know, it’s a bit quieter in here.”

Remus looked at him. “Heavy metal or emo?”

“Heavy metal first. Then emo.” 

Virgil connected his phone and began blasting his music. They began with songs by _Fit For A King,_ then moved to _Get Scared,_ then _My Chemical Romance,_ and ended with _Set It Off._ By the time they pulled into the hotel parking lot, both of them were sick from the junk food and tired from blasting high energy music for _hours,_ but were ultimately just ready to sleep. And in the long run, they didn’t really mind the headaches and nausea. After all, they had each other, and what’s a good road trip without a little pain?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Octopodes(the plural of Octopus) don't have tentacles. Their appendages are referred to as arms because they have suckers all the way down the appendages and aren't flared at the bottom, unlike squid appendages. Octopodes have arms and squid have tentacles.


	16. Dukeceit -- Vampire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count -- 358  
>   
>  _If there are any typos and/or grammar mistakes, don't hesitate to let me know._

It was 112° F in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and Remus was _dying._ His skin was slick with sweat and his tank top and fringe clung to him. He felt _disgusting._ In all honesty, he didn’t really mind the feeling. But he definitely minded the heat. Luckily, he had a nifty, vampire boyfriend who’s temperature never got above 60° F.

He trudged up the stairs, throwing the door open so hard it slammed against the wall. Janus, who was comfortably laying on the couch and trying to get some rest, shot up ramrod straight. Once aer gaze settled on Remus, ae sighed with an intense eye roll and flopped back onto the couch.

Before ae had a chance to close his eyes again, Remus thrust a finger in his direction, yelling, “TAKE OF YOUR SHIRT AND GET ON THE FLOOR!”

“Excuse me?” Ae demanded, completely and utterly shocked. Ae couldn’t help the way aer face flushed, though it quickly overtaken with confusion. As far as ae knew, aer boyfriend was asexual and sex repulsed.

“You heard me. Floor. Now.” Remus said, grinning as he tossed his tank top to the side.

“But,” Janus protested, trying to make some semblance of the situation, “I thought you were-”

“Sex repulsed? Yeah, I am. This ain’t sexual. This is me fucking _burning_ and me needing my person popsicle of a partner. Now _please._ Lay. On. The floor.”

Janus, sighing and shaking aer head, pulled of their banana yellow t-shit and laid on the living room floor per Remus’s request. They laid face down, and let out a small ‘oof’ as Remus flung himself on top of aer.

“Oh thank _fuck._ ” Remus groaned, relishing in the feeling of cool against his overheated skin. “You’re like a fucking freezer. I’ve never been happier that you’re dead.”

Janus snorted, resting aer head on aer forearms as Remus lay on aer back. The two stayed that way for the rest of the evening, only moving when Remus had to get up and eat. That night, Remus returned to laying on Janus, this time on aer chest, sighing softly as ae carded a hand through his hair.


	17. Intruality -- Bookshop Owner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count -- 621  
>   
>  _If there are any typos and/or grammar mistakes, don't hesitate to let me know._

Remus looked up at the honey, used bookshop that sat squat in front of him.  _ Patton’s Pages _ looked like something out of a dark academia TV show, the warm brick accented perfectly by the navy blues and golds that were painted upon the large, oak door.

He’d only heard good things about the little shop, and it had been  _ absolute ages _ since Remus had just picked up a book and spent the afternoon reading. He’d been swamped with deadlines, his walls all littered with string-boards depicting plots and character arcs. But his final novel in the  _ Forbidden Fruit _ series was finally out, and he was ready to curl up and read a good book instead of spending all his time writing one.

He stepped in, the bell above him jingling and signalling his entrance. The smell of well loved books hit him like a truck, dragging him into nostalgic memories he didn’t even know existed.

“I’ll be there in a sec!” A cheery voice called from further back into the shop.

“Alright!” He called back, glancing around at the tall shelves, each packed to the brim with books.

The  _ click, click, click _ of heels on hardwood got Remus’s attention, announcing the arrival of the clerk. When they stepped into Remus’s eye line, his jaw  _ dropped. _ They, much like the bookshop itself, looked like they had sprouted out of a dark academia novel. A faded blue sweater was framed by a white, button down shirt that peeked out of the collar and sleeves. Their shirts were tucked into their copper skirt, which swished around their ankles. Their black socks slipped into burgundy, Edwardian oxford shoes, which nearly completed the look. The cherry on top was their rounded spectacles, that perched atop their freckled, button nose and framed their green eyes perfectly. Their auburn hair was tied up in a Victorian updo, and Remus would have expected them to speak in an older version of English if he hadn’t heard them talk already.

They were completely, undeniably adorable.

“How can I help you?”

“I- uh,” Remus began eloquently. “I-I’m looking for a good, gritty horror novel.”

“Oh I have the  _ perfect _ thing for you! You look like an R. S. King kinda guy. I’ll show you to his spot.”

“I- uh, thanks, but I don’t really wanna read my own stuff again. I kinda came here to read something new.”

The clerk’s jaw fell to the floor. “Oh. My. Gosh.  _ You’re  _ R. S. King?! Ohmy _ gosh _ I absolutely  _ love _ your stuff! I just about squealed my heart out when  _ Bloodied Pomegranates _ came out!” They paused, their expression shifting to confusion. “What’re you doing in my little ol’ bookstore?”

“You’re Patton?” He asked.

“The one and only!” They replied, heels clopping as they made their way further into the shop.

“And I meant what I said. Lookin’ for some good old fashioned fucked up horror.”

“Well alright.” They hummed, a finger trailing along book spines, their little nose wrinkled in adorable concentration. “Remington Buck has some good stuff, I think you’ll like him.” They pulled a book out, holding it out for Remus.

He took it, flipping it over to read the synopsis. When he’d finished, he asked, “What’re his other works?”

Patton beamed, their smile lighting up the room.

This was it. It was official. Remus Sanders-King was officially in love with Patton. How cliché; an author falling in love with a bookshop owner. He wouldn’t hear the end of it when Roman found out. But somehow, that didn’t bother Remus all that much. If it meant he’d get to see Patton’s perfect smile and bright eyes as he talked about the horrible, horrible things Remus had written, he’d put up with just about anything.


	18. DRLAMP -- Band

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count -- 833  
>   
>  _If there are any typos and/or grammar mistakes, don't hesitate to let me know._

Roman’s voice reverberated around the venue as he belted the lyrics, Janus and Patton harmonizing with him all the while. Seamlessly, Roman’s fried singing shifted to Janus’s screaming, Virgil holding them both up with his base chords.

An abrupt shift into a small drum solo signified the transition into the bridge. Logan readied himself, eyes shifting to this fretboard. His foot tapped to the beat, nodding slightly as he counted down.

_Six, seven, eight._

His fingers jumped into action, scaling the fretboard like a professional mountain climber. They climbed higher and higher, finally stopping at the 22nd fret. They danced along the neck, nimble fingers executing arpeggio after arpeggio. He spent a few more moment at the higher frets before sliding back down and thrusting his pick across all eight strings. A resounding chord echoed through the venue before Virgil and Remus picked up the track again, Patton and Roman coming in for the final verse.

Logan followed Virgil’s lead, playing a few chords for the verse, though leaving most of the work to Virgil. Janus joined in shortly after, vocal fry shifting into a scream before handing the mic back to Roman. They kept at it for the rest of the verse and then into the final chorus, Roman singing and transferring the mic over to Janus for the screaming.

Logan glanced over at Virgil and Remus, snorting faintly at the sight of Virgil’s tonge peeking out from between his lips in concentration. His focus shifted to Remus on his other side, a mad grin on his face as his wild movements provided precise and stacatto drum beats. Finally, he chanced a look at Patton, Roman, and Janus. 

Patton stood behind the other two, the grin audible in his vocals. Roman’s long hair flowed around them as they belted, their weight shifting with the beat. Then, a quick handoff of the mic to Janus for the ending of the song. Remus held his sticks at the drums cut out, leaving Virgil and Logan to see Janus off. He screamed into the mic, heel tapping harshly into the stage as he held his note. Logan played his last chord, and then Virgil faded out, too. Finally, Janus’s scream dissipated, their heavy breathing clearly visible.

The crowd _roared._

* * *

Logan fell into the diner booth with a sigh, pulling his electric blue hair out of its messy bun. He then removed his contacts, slipping on his square framed glasses. He couldn’t help, nor did he try, to keep the giddy grin that spread across his face from forming. Virgil crashed down next to him at his left, and Remus as his right. Patton, Janus, and Roman sat in the booth across from them, Patton across from Remus and Roman across from Virgil.

Logan was buzzing with adrenaline, as were the rest of his bandmates. Friendly and excited chatter bubbled up from their table. It only halted as the server brought their food over, quickly restarting as the meals were divvied out amongst them.

“That was absolutely _killer!_ ” Roman grinned, taking a monstrous bite out of their cheeseburger. 

A chorus of affirmative exclamations sounded at the table.

“Jan, you absolutely _shredded it,_ as always.” Roman spoke again once they’d finished chewing.

“I’m flattered, Ro. You were wonderful as well. Though let’s be honest, the only one who _actually_ shredded anything tonight was Logan. That shred in your solo was absolute _madness._ ” He flashed a grin in Logan’s direction.

“Oh _fuck_ yeah.” Virgil said, shooting a smirk at Logan. “I’d say it gave me life, but we’ve already established I’m dead inside.”

“It gave you unlife!” Remus piped up, in the process of inhaling his veggie burger.

Their lead guitarist flushed at the praise. “Thanks y’all. And Virgil, you weren’t half bad yourself. This is the first time you’ve really carried verses and you were brilliant.”

“’S nothing compared to you-”

“Just accept the compliment, emo.” Remus said through a mouthful of fries, having moved on from his burger.

Virgil just rolled their eyes with a dopey grin, chucking a fry in his direction.

Roman leaned across the table and intercepted it, popping it into their mouth as they turned back to Virgil. “He’s right, y’know. You really did carry the verses and you were _astounding._ ”

“Take the compliment, V.” Logan urged, knocking shoulders with his fellow guitarist.

Virgil’s eyes rolled back again, but a muttered ‘fine’ through poorly hidden grin proved he wasn’t all that miffed.

They spent the night gushing about everyone’s favourite parts of the concert. Roman absolutely loved the way they and Janus exchanged mics, and Janus couldn’t help but love the scream that ended the set. Patton loved Remus’s drum solo in the second song, as did Remus. Virgil talked about his solo in the first song, and of course Logan couldn’t help but love his final solo. They all sat and talked through the night, buzzing with energy after the crazy concert.

And they were gonna do it all again tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who are curious, I have links to what I imagine the [ vocals](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSkctiz6vqE), [ guitar solo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc_esgDgxs8), and [general track](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVSwzvvhFWc) to sound like.


	19. Remile -- Tattoo Parlor & Flower Shop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count -- 575  
>   
>  _If there are any typos and/or grammar mistakes, don't hesitate to let me know._

Remy sighed melodramatically as he gazed with a lovesick smile out the window of his flower shop. Across the street sat a tattoo parlor, all dressed up in bright colours and a welcoming atmosphere. Just through the window he could make out the owner, Emile Picani, chatting with a client. He beamed as he talked, ink peeking out from his cardigan sleeves rolled to his elbows. His cotton candy hair worked perfectly with his pastel pink shirt under the tan cardigan. A light blue skirt shifted around his knees, cementing the cotton candy look. He was absolutely  _ gorgeous _ .

Remy rested his cheek on his propped up hand, slipping his sunglasses over his eyes as he let himself drift from the present. He let himself be led away by daydreams, depicting anything and everything he’d do with Emile. They’d get coffee, or go joyriding, or just have a movie night. He would always be the sweetest, reeling in and keeping Remy from accidently dying from whatever situation he’d managed to get himself in that day. One of these days he would work up the courage to ask him for a-

“...bouquet?”

Remy jumped, startled into reality by none other than Emile. His elbow slipped off the counter and his weight fell forward, forehead cracking against the marble counter and breaking his glasses in two. “Fuck!” He clutched his head, wincing at his mutilated shades.

“Are you alright?” Emile asked, brows curving upwards in concern.

He just waved him off, grumbling under his breath. “Fine, babes. You said something about a bouquet?”

“Yeah; I’m planning on getting one for a proposal.”

_ Oh. _

Remy felt his heart sink and crack all at once. His genuine smile turned brittle and fragile, his golden eyes a little less bright as he said, “Congratulations. Who’s the lucky person?”

Emile laughed, shaking his head and rubbing his neck awkwardly. “No, no, not like that. I meant a date proposal. I wanna ask someone out.”

The twisting in his gut subsided, though it by no means faded as he pulled out his notepad and pen. “Alright, first date, then?”

Emile nodded.

“Perfect. Then let’s go with.. irises for hope and then daffodils for new beginnings. And then some fern to fill it out.” Remy muttered as he wrote, sifting through flowers in his mind.

With a quick signal for Emile to wait, he retreated to his greenhouse. Remy took his time picking out each flower and assembling the bouquet. He tried to ignore the images that flashed in his head of Emile with someone else. He tried to shove away the pang of jealousy. 

He reentered the room with a bouquet and an all new false smile. He delicately placed the bunch of flowers and ferns on the counter, asking for Emile’s card. Awkward silence ensued as Remy swiped the card. Of course, as usual, it didn’t go through the first time. Emile swiped it himself this time. The machine  _ dinged _ and Remy handed Emile his bouquet, already thinking about what ice cream he’d be picking up on his way home.

“Awesome!” Emile grinned, taking a look at the bouquet. Then, he handed them back to Remy. “Here.”

Remy looked at him, befuddled.

“I think you’re pretty cute. Wanna go out sometime?” Emile asked, brushing his pink hair from where it had fallen into his eyes.

Rendered completely and utterly speechless--no small feat when it came to Remy--took the bouquet, merely nodding.


	20. Losleep -- Dystopia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original Prompt was Remy/Side.
> 
> Word Count -- 161
> 
> _If there are any typos and/or grammar mistakes, don't hesitate to let me know._

Logan was sitting in his living room, staring out the window. The blinding, flashing lights of Mindscape City distracting him from the concerning sounds coming from his roof. The roof of his apartment was proper ciranium, and therefore could protect both him and Remy from the wave of acid rain that was pouring down onto the building. But Logan couldn’t help but worry. His roommate Janus was living proof that ciranium wasn’t a perfect solution.

Next to Logan was Remy, curled in a ball and leaning against him. Logan chuckled, ruffling their hair gently and smiling as they adjusted in their sleep, groaning slightly and shifting closer to him.

“Night Remy.” He muttered, planting a faint kiss to the crown of their head.

Remy muttered something unintelligible in turn, presumably a ‘good night,’ before drifting off to sleep once more.

That night, Logan fell asleep to the pitter patter and sizzle of the rain and the gentle snoring of his partner.


	21. Remile -- Witch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original prompt was Emile/Side.  
>   
> Word Count -- 339  
>   
>  _If there are any typos and/or grammar mistakes, don't hesitate to let me know._

Remy stirs the cauldron before him with a wooden spoon, the navy blue shimmering as the spoon left temporary divots in its wake. His usual sunglasses were set to the side, revealing his molten gold irises. He was in his back room, and didn’t have to worry about humans seeing his eyes. He didn’t necessarily mind the sunglasses, but they certainly got annoying after a while. He was grateful for the break.

Emile, the pixie that had endeared zherself to him, sat perched atop his rams horns. Unlike his eyes, he could easily cloak his horns. Or, when he was too lazy to, he could just claim he was in costume. Humans would buy just about anything.

Emile hugged his horns as zhe leaned over and watched Remy’s potion making process. He grabbed a pinch of gnome’s nail clippings, sticking his tongue out in disgust as he dropped them into the cool mixture. As soon as they made contact with the liquid, the concoction turned a bright bubblegum pink, rapidly growing thicker.

“Is it supposed to do that?” Emile asked, eyeing the goopy liquid warily.

“’Course it is, babes. Trust me, this ain’t my first rodeo.” Remy reached up to give zher an encouraging pat on zher head.

Zhe took the motion in stride, reaching up to grab hold of Remy’s fingers, effectively capturing his hand.

Remy chuckled. “I need my hand, Emi.”

“Can’t you just use your witchy magic to put the pink sludge in the vials?”

“Well, yeah, but-”

“Nope! No buts! Your hand’s mine now.”

Remy sighed fondly, making a gesture and causing the liquid to pour itself into the empty vials to the left. “Why do you even want my hand in the first place?”

“Do I really need a reason?” Zhe asked.

“Is that pixie for ‘you don’t wanna know’?”

“Yup!”

“You’re insufferable.” Remy muttered, ton devoid of malice.

“I know!” Emile responded, beaming.

Remy snorted, resisting the urge to shake his head, not wanting to dislodge the pixie who’d taken his hand hostage.


	22. Analoceit -- Steampunk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original prompt was author's choice of an OT3.
> 
> Word Count -- 352 
> 
> _If there are any typos and/or grammar mistakes, don't hesitate to let me know._

The shadows were dark and coated everything as the zeppelin made its course. The rest of the crew had gone to bed, each returning to their quarters to catch up on much needed sleep. The whole crew had been overwhelmingly busy the past week, and had all subsequently crashed once night fell and they were out of the city.

Three figures were still upon the deck, each staring up into the twinkling night sky. Two of the three inhaled the fresh, chilling air; they couldn’t believe what it felt like to properly breathe. The city they all came from was constantly swathed in a low hanging smog, infiltrating the lungs and clogging up the throat.

But here. Out in the open, no heavy, grey brown clouds to be seen, the two humans could properly breathe for the first time in all their years of life. They’d vowed not to return to the city ages ago, but this solidified it. The feeling of cold air filling their lungs up to capacity, the extended energy they all had. It was magical.

Beside the two humans lay an automaton. He looked up into the sky, a lopsided smile gracing his face. He couldn’t breathe the new, fresh air like his partners could, but he knew freedom when he felt it. And this was it.

“It’s beautiful.” One of the figures whispered, one of the humans, their copper and gold prosthetic eye shining in the moonlight.

“It is, isn’t it.” Muttered the other human. Their right arm was that of an automaton, spectacles perched atop their nose as they looked up into the heavens above.

“Yeah, it is.” The automaton agreed, their patchwork jacket shifting in the breeze.

Two inventors and an automaton lay on the deck of a zeppelin, gazing up at the sky. A peaceful air gathers around them all, and soon the humans fall prey to sleep. The automaton, follows suit out of respect.

Unbeknownst to them, the heavens above shift into patterns. A wondrous destiny is foretold for each of them, their lives intertwining and connecting until all three are made one.


	23. Logince -- Boy Next Door

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original prompt was Roman/Side. 
> 
> Word Count -- 536
> 
> _If there are any typos and/or grammar mistakes, don't hesitate to let me know._

Roman sighed as he tossed the last cardboard box in the recycling. He stepped back into his new apartment, a grin on his face. Finally,  _ finally _ he’d moved into his new apartment. He’d been trying to move out of his old town for  _ ages _ and he’d finally done it! It felt so nice to be in the city, away from homophobic townsfolk. His opportunities were limitless! 

He fell asleep with a stupid smile on his face, already thinking about all the amazing things he could do when he woke.

Roman stepped into his house, his arms decorated with shopping bags. He’d gone on a shopping spree, buying a new wardrobe. After all, if he wanted to reinvent himself, what better place to start than with his style? He’d bought at least five skirts, ten different tops, two dresses, two pairs of pants, and had even gotten his ears pierced!

He dropped off the bags in his bedroom and took a step out onto the balcony. He’d seen the sun setting on his drive home and wanted to get a chance to watch the sky fade from orange to blue for a while. When he stepped outside, something caught his eye.

To his left was a man, also on his balcony, staring at the sunset. The golden rays caught his curly black hair and highlighted his rich, brown skin. An untied bowtie hung loose from his collar, his black dress shirt buttoned to the top. A contented smile played across his features as he adjusted his glasses, staring into the sunset.

“Hey.” Roman said, waving to the man.

He looked over to Roman, his smile shifting to something smaller, more personable. “Salutations.”

“I’m new here.” He replied dumbly, kicking himself for not thinking ahead before talking to a cute guy.

“I assumed as much.”

“Well, uh.. Yeah. I should- uh” he gestured to his apartment.

The guy nodded, smile turning slightly lopsided as he watched Roman struggle to string sentences together. He just nodded, returning his attention to the sunset.

Roman stepped back into his house, cursing whoever it was that made him so  _ goddamn gay. _

Roman was humming  _ Absolutely Smitten _ by  _ dodie _ under his breath as he searched the aisles for the jams and jellies. It might have been a bit on the nose for how he was feeling, but Roman was nothing if not obvious, and as stated before, unabashedly day.

He grinned as he found the aisle, stuttering at his eyes caught sight of his neighbor. He was taking a few jars off the shelf. Roman stepped closer. Was that..? It was! He was taking a few jars of Crofters! 

Roman happily strolled forward, grateful for the conversation starter. “You like Crofters, too?” He asked, taking a look at the store’s selection.

The guy turned to him before nodding firmly. “Of course. It’s the only correct choice when it comes to picking jams and/or jellies.”

“Did you just say ‘and/or’ aloud?” Roman asked.

“Yes I did.” Logan responded, a challenge shining in his eyes and a smirk sliding onto his face.

Roman snorted. “Alright nerd. At least we can agree on the Crofters thing. There really is nothing better than Crofters.”

“Agreed.” 


	24. Loceit -- Time Travel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original prompt was Logan/Side.
> 
> Word Count -- 339
> 
> _If there are any typos and/or grammar mistakes, don't hesitate to let me know._

Logan sat at his desk, the sluggish clacking of his keyboard filling the silence. He was currently writing up his report for his latest mission and wasn’t enjoying it in the least. He really did enjoy being a field agent for the TLP, but the paperwork really did make him question his career choice. 

It wasn’t usually this much, but his latest mission had been complicated, and he had to file more reports for a couple of mishaps that had happened along the way. Needless to say, he’d much rather be doing something else, like spending time with his husband.

Speaking of his husband, Logan near jumped as hand slid around his shoulders. Janus reached forward, swiping up above the keyboard to bring up a menu and pressing an icon. Logan’s computer monitor went to sleep.

“Take a break.” Janus said, voice soft next to Logan’s ear.

“Jan-”

“Take a  _ break, _ Lo. The paperwork will still be here in the morning. Or better yet, it’ll still be here Monday. It’s not due until Tuesday, you can afford to put it off for a little while.”

Logan sighed, nodding reluctantly. “Alright.”

“Perfect, because I have something that’s sure to help you unwind.”

“Oh really?” Logan raised a skeptical brow, turning in his chair to face Janus.

Janus smiled. “Oh yes.” He planted a kiss on Logan’s cheek, his smile widening as his husband’s face and ears went red. “I may or may not have cleared it with Thomas to stay in a household in 1800s Edinburgh for the weekend.”

Logan’s eyes lit up. “Really?” He couldn’t keep the eager smile from slipping onto his face.

“Really.” Janus responded, moving in for a proper kiss. Logan eagerly reciprocated, wrapping his arms around Janus’s waist and pulling him closer.

He pulled away, faintly out of breath as he looked Janus in the eye, perfect hair slightly mussed. “I love you.”

“As do I. No come on,” Janus pulled Logan from the chair. “The sooner we get there, the sooner we can relax.”


	25. Intruality -- Punk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original prompt was Patton/Side.
> 
> Word Count -- 404
> 
> _If there are any typos and/or grammar mistakes don't hesitate to let me know._

Patton huffed a frustrated sigh as he looked at the text he’d just received from Remy.

_ sorry babes can’t make it _

No explanation, no nothing. Just ‘can’t make it.’ Remy was a fantastic drummer, so Patton put up with his flakiness, but this was their biggest gig and he’d just  _ blown it off. _ And not Patton didn’t have a drummer, and there was no way he could perform by himself.

He tapped his foot, the chains that hung from his ripped, acid washed jeans jingling with him motions. He resisted the urge to run his hand through his hair, not wanting to mess up his electric blue mohawk. Instead, he fiddled with the zipper of his worn leather jacket.

Heavy footsteps caused Patton to look up, spotting someone sauntering up to him. His fluorescent green hair was effortlessly swept back, and his loose, black shirt had so many rips and tears it looked like it was mauled by a bear. Distressed and ripped bright green cargo pants matched his hair, and his spiked sneakers and various silver accessories around his neck and waist tied the whole thing together.

He looked amazing.

“Heard through the grapevine that you need a drummer.” He said, clipped English accent juxtaposing drastically with his… well, everything.

“How’d you know?” Patton asked, suddenly a little self conscious of his own fashion sense.

“You’re drummer’s kinda infamous.” He shrugged.

“Oh..” Patton’s eyes dipped to study his electric blue Converse. “Well, yeah. I do kinda need a drummer.”

“Well now you don’t. Count me in.” The man said with a grin.

Patton’s head snapped up. “What?”

“You heard me. I mean, you’re cute as hell, and fuckable to boot. I certainly wouldn’t mind more time with you.”

“At least take me out to dinner first.” Patton muttered, face flaming.

The man grinned. “I’ll pay.”

“I was kidding!” Patton said quickly, his ears turning red. The man’s face fell. “But.. I- uh- I wouldn't mind going to dinner with you…” He hesitantly continued. He couldn’t deny that the man in front of him was good looking. 

The man beamed and Patton’s face split into a grin. “That is,  _ if _ you’re a good drummer.” He added.

“Oh you’re fucking on! You bet your ass I’m earning dinner with you!” The man declared, his grin mirror Patton’s.

“We’ll see.” Patton said, though he knew it was already decided. He was definitely taking Remus to dinner. 


	26. Dukexiety -- Pirate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original prompt was Virgil/Side.
> 
> Word Count -- 290
> 
> _If there are any typos and/or grammar mistakes, don't hesitate to let me know._

Virgil’s lopsided grin was plastered on his face as he clinked his rum bottle against his captain’s. The whole crew was on the deck, drinking away their stash of rum. They usually just stuck with grog, but today was a special occasion. Remus and his crew had finally tracked down their rival crew, those aboard the  _ Psyche, _ and had left their ship to rot with Davy Jones.

Both Remus and Virgil’s cheeks were flushed, the movements sloppy and sluggish, their tongues long since loosened. Remus, the captain, was on his second bottle, and Virgil, the quartermaster, was on his third. Remus couldn’t afford to get too shitfaced during the celebration, but Virgil was all in favour of downing a constant stream of liquid courage. It did wonders for his anxiety.

“Nothin’ better than sinkin’ a ship, ey Ree?”

“A-fuckin’- _ men _ to  _ that! _ ” Remus agreed, tossing back the dregs of his bottle.

As he did, Virgil couldn’t help but admire him. How the moonlight highlighted his oak skin. How slivers of silver were caught in the waves of his dark hair and blended into his white streak. How his eyes were alight, even two bottles in, and his grin was spread wide beneath his waxed mustache. Virgil didn’t believe in God, but he was pretty damn sure that Remus came close.

Before he could stop himself and actually  _ think _ about what he was dong, Virgil gripped Remus’s poet shirt and slammed his lips against his. Remus made a small noise in shock, but quickly recovered. Both he and Virgil struggled for the lead, fire burning through Virgil’s veins. But the quartermaster soon stood down, allowing Remus to take control.

The kiss was awkward and clumsy and chaotic. And it was goddamn perfect.


	27. Roceit -- Superhero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original prompt was Janus/Side.
> 
> Word Count -- 459
> 
> _If there are any typos and/or grammar mistakes, don't hesitate to let me know._

Roman collapsed onto the couch, pressing himself up against Janus. He frowned as he spotted the remote on the coffee table, just out of reach. Janus huffed fondly and waved his hand, levitating the remote and placing it in Roman’s hand. He grinned at Janus as he flicked on the TV, the news anchor’s voice filling their living room.

“Just yesterday, there was another standoff between Deceit and the Prince. Deceit, the well known psychokinetic villain, first appeared on the roof of Sanders bank. The Prince, our beloved hero with flight and strength abilities, arrived at the scene shortly after Deceit was spotted.”

The camera on the anchor switched to a shakier feed of the fight. Roman watched intently as the Prince zipped up into the air, his royal red cape fluttering behind him. He made a swift turn mid-air and tackled Deceit from the roof of the bank, slamming him into the ground. The Prince struck a pose, grinning as he sauntered from the crater that he’d formed, a triumphant gleam in his eye. He stopped short as Deceit pulled himself to his feet, his own cape left tattered from the impact.

The Prince looked back, triumphant smile shifting into a determined grimace. Deceit mirrored his facial expression.

“10 bucks says they’re gay.” Roman said, interrupting the tension.

Janus rolled his eyes. “No.”

“Oh come  _ on! _ You  _ know _ they’re gay!”

He stared Roman down, one eyebrow quirked. “Yes I do. And thus, I refuse to participate in a bet I know I’ll lose.”

“Whatever.” Roman scoffed melodramatically, burrowing into Janus’s side.

They fell silent, once more turning their attention to the broadcast. The camera-person had gotten some close up shots on each super’s facial expressions. Their eyes both burned with a passion. Whether that was love or hate, who was to say.

At one point, the Prince slammed Deceit into a building, the other falling to the ground in a heap. He wasn’t dead, though he didn’t pull himself to his feet. He snarled at the Prince, glaring daggers at the hero.

“Good acting, by the way.” Roman muttered absently. “It really looks like you hate me..”

“Oh, sweetheart, I could never.” Janus said, planting a kiss on Roman’s cheek. 

He smiled up at him. “I know.” Roman leaned forward, pressing a chaste kiss to Janus’s lips. “I didn’t really hurt you, did I?” He asked hesitantly as he pulled away.

Janus shook his head, a comforting smile slipping onto his face as he rested his forehead against Roman’s. “Of course not. And you know I’d tell you if you did.”

Roman nodded and hummed happily as he settled back into Janus’s side. He smiled as he wrapped his arm around Roman, returning his gaze to the TV.


	28. Intrulogical -- Fake Relationship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original prompt was Remus/Side.
> 
> Word Count -- 1763
> 
> _If there are any typos and/or grammar mistakes, don't hesitate to let me know._

Remus gnawed at his lip as he doodled on his desk. His right leg bounced beneath the table as he drew. His human biology professor was going on about something, though he’d long since tuned her out. He could usually listen to her lectures if he was doodling, but that didn’t seem to be working today. Whatever.

“...due on the 29th. Class dismissed.”

Of course Remus’s brain decided to tune back in at the end of the lecture. Oh well. It just gave him another reason to talk to a student he’d had his eyes on for a while. He jumped from his seat, bouncing down the rows, grinning when he saw him.

Logan Reyes.

Just a few days ago, Remus was chilling with Roman and co. when Roman had mentioned something about a date with this one guy. Nate was his name? It didn’t really matter. What  _ mattered _ was Roman mentioning that Remus could never get a date. Of course it was all sibling banter, but he wasn’t just gonna take that shit lying down, no sir.

And so here he was, about to ask Logan Reyes to be his pretend boyfriend. He wasn’t sure what would happen after that, but that was a problem for future Remus. All that mattered was proving his baby brother wrong.

He hopped onto Logan’s desk, crossing his legs and resting his head atop his hand, a grin spread across his face. “What up, nerd.”

Logan, to his credit, only jumped a little bit. He adjusted his glasses, huffing a sigh. “Hello Remus.”

“I need to fuck with Ro-Ro. And I need your help to do it.”

“I’m listening.”

Remus’s grin spread wider.  _ Score! _

“You,” he said, twirling his finger and tapping Logan’s chest, “are gonna be my boyfriend. It’ll only be for like a month or something. After that, we’ll tell him. Or we won’t. I dunno know yet. I just gotta prove to him that I can get a guy, and who better than his best friend? Now that’ll surely make his jaw drop to the floor.”

Remus held back a grimace at the image of Roman’s mandible dislocating and falling to the floor in a pile of blood and loose skin. He took a breath, hoping the image would fade. 

Logan’s smirk, thankfully, brought him back to reality. “Alright, I’m in. What’s my responsibility in this?”

Remus just shook his head. “Don’t worry about it, sweetcheeks.” He ruffled Logan’s hair. Logan huffed slightly and fixed it. “I got it all planned out. Just follow my lead.”

“Somehow that doesn’t console me.” He said, though his tone held no malice.

Remus grinned, kipping,  _ yes  _ skipping, out of the classroom, dragging his ‘boyfriend’ along with him.

Remus tapped his fingers anxiously on the steering wheel as he pulled into his parents’ house’s driveway. He couldn’t help the sigh of relief that escaped him, knowing he wouldn’t have any more flashes of their mauled bodies trapped in a flaming vehicle. Well, he wouldn’t have them again until he got back in the car, but he had a while until that happened, so it was fine.

He hopped out of the car, an eager smile slipping onto his face. He could not  _ wait _ to see Roman’s face when he arrived. Remus made sure that he arrived early, so he could really surprise his brother.

He glanced over to Logan, and couldn’t help but admire the way the nerd looked. His black skirt swished around his knees as he shifted his weight, rolling up the sleeves of his black button down to ease his nerves. Remus patted him on the shoulder.

“It’ll go great, you’ll be fine.”

Logan smiled slightly and nodded.

Despite his words, Remus still tried to smooth the wrinkles out of his  _ Ghost _ t-shirt. When he was done with his fidgeting, for now at least, he wrapped on the door and waltzed into his childhood home. He looked around, smiling at all the memories that graced the walls. Pictures of him and Roman were everywhere.

“Wow.” Logan muttered, looking around.

Before Remus could reply, his Mami arrived, eyes lighting up as she caught sight of his ‘boyfriend.’

“Oh mijo, who’s this?” She wrapped Logan in a strong embrace and Remus snorted at the look of utter shock that was plastered on his face. He reluctantly hugged her back, shooting Remus a look that he didn’t bother deciphering.

When she pulled away, Logan adjusted his glasses. “Logan Reyes, a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Caldarón.”

“Ooh! He’s polite, too!” She turned to Remus, wrapping him in a rib crushing embrace. “You really scored well with this one.”

Remus laughed, hugging her back. “Hell yeah I did, Ma.”

The three migrated to the kitchen, idly chatting as they waited for Roman to arrive. Logan was introduced to Remus’s other mom, and he hit it off quickly with both his parents. He couldn’t help the fond look that took over his face at his ‘boyfriend’ getting along so well with his parents.

Remus’s head turned as he heard the door open, biting his lip to keep from laughing at what Roman’s reaction would be.

“I’m hoooooooome!” He called, bursting into the kitchen melodramatically.

“Oh, it’s so good to see you Roman!” His Mom grinned, hugging him.

“Come! Come sit!” His Mami urged, setting the last of the dishes on the table. “You have to meet the boy Remus brought with him!”

Roman’s eyes near popped out of his head. His head swerved, mouth falling open as he made eye contact with Logan.

Logan merely smirked, waving and taking a seat. “It’s nice to see you again, Roman.”

Remus snorted, desperately trying to hold back laughter. Despite this, he still cackled as Roman opened and closed his mouth, not unlike a fish. That put the image of Roman with a fish head in his brain, which just made him laugh harder.

Needless to say, that night went off without a hitch.

Remus’s hand was entwined with Logan’s, the other perched atop his lap. When they’d arrived and told everyone ‘the news,’ it had taken a while for everyone to settle back into their standard rhythm, but they got there eventually. Well, mostly. Roman wouldn’t stop sending them weird looks, and Patton and Virgil squealed and gagged respectively every time he and Logan did anything remotely couple-y.

In the middle of Virgil’s rant about Mothman, Remus leaned forward, muttering in Logan’s ear. “Do you trust me?”

Roman sent him a look and Remus just innocently grinned.

“Of course.” Logan muttered back, leaning into Remus’s chest.

“Lit. Brace yourself.”

He didn’t give his boyfriend a chance to reply before pulling Logan into a kiss. Logan was stiff for a moment before he relaxed into the kiss. He sighed, and Remus couldn’t help his smile at the action. He pulled away, winking at Logan and waggling his eyebrows. Logan went bright red, and Remus cackled.

The two turned back to the group, entirely too pleased with themselves that they rendered everyone speechless. Remus kissed Logan on the cheek and then gestured for Virgil to continue, as if nothing had happened.

Remus was laying on his bed, tracing the patterns of his ceiling above him. He fiddled with his mustache with one hand and tapped on his knee with the other. He had just had the most amazing and horrifying realization he’d had all year. Remus tended to have horrifying realizations a lot, but this one certainly took the cake. 

He was in love with Logan Reyes.

He turned his head, taking a look at his octopus clock.  _ 01:38 _ it read. Despite the hour, he slung his hand over to his desk, grasping for his phone. He unlocked it, pulling up Logan’s contact.

Nerdy Wolverine  
  
u up?  
  
Yeah.  
  
im coming over  
  


Remus didn’t wait for a reply, shoving his phone into his pants pocket and dragging himself from his bed. He shrugged on his favourite leather jacket and slipped out the door, heading over to Logan’s dorm.

He knew that Logan roomed with someone, though thankfully he didn’t share a room with his roommate. That meant that the front door wasn’t an option, but Logan’s room did have a window. And quite a massive oak tree in front of it. The only challenge he might have was scaling the tree, but that wasn’t really an issue.

Remus arrived and clambered up the oak tree, balancing precariously on a branch and leaning over to knock on Logan’s window. The brief thought of him falling and collapsing into a pile of broken bones crossed his mind, though it went away once Logan opened his window.

He was in a tank top, his glasses slightly askew and his hair perfectly disheveled. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he muttered, “What the hell Remus.”

“I’ll explain in a bit, just trust me. Now come on, pull on a jacket and let’s get out of here. I don’t want any listening ears.”

Logan glanced back into his dorm, then nodded, pulling on a NASA windbreaker and climbing out of his window. It took a little while for the two to get down the tree, due to Logan being afraid of heights, but Remus helped him and eventually got them both down.

They landed on the ground and Remus took Logan’s shaking hand in his, leading him towards the park they first kissed at. The journey there was mostly silent, Remus being nervous for the first time in a while, and Logan being too tired to care about conversation.

Eventually, Logan spoke up. “You wanted to talk?”

Remus worried his lip, taking a seat on a park bench. “Yeah, I- uh- kinda need to say something…” Logan was patient as Remus gesticulated, hoping that he’d be able to grab the words if he flailed his arms enough. “I don’t think this relationship is fake for me anymore…” His eyes focused on his shoelaces, too nervous to look at Logan’s face.

Silence. It hung heavy in the air. Remus didn’t lift his gaze. His heart pounded in his ears. He jumped as Logan hooked his finger under Remus’s chin, guiding his eyes to his.

“I don’t think it’s fake anymore for me, either.” He admitted with a small smile.

“So… We doin’ this for real now?”

He nodded. “I’d like that.”

A grin split across his face as he leapt forward, pulling Logan into a passionate kiss. The moon hung above them, a dark splotch against the starry sky. The next chapter of their story had begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At last, we're at the end. What a journey this has been. Thank you all those who've left kudos, commented, etc. It means a lot. If you like what I've written, here are some of my other works that fall under AUs I've written about this month:
> 
> College AU: [The Boys Between The Pages](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24579256/chapters/59363692)  
> Pirate AU: [Souls On The Sea](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25539934)  
> High School AU: [Red Roses](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25594525)  
> Mermaid AU: [Within The Waters](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24874216/chapters/60180184)  
> Vampire AU: [The Betrayal Of A Beating Heart](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27321862)  
> Superhero AU: [A New Voice](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29478465)  
> Faerie AU: [Broken Promises](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29502606)
> 
> Take care, drink lots of water, and have a wonderful day.


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